Do you think religion is geographical?

Question

To the political correctness sensitive: I am being very general here for simplicity sake.
If someone were born and raised into a Christian family in the Midwestern US, they would grow up Christian. If under different circumstances that same person were born into a Muslim family in Iraq or a Jewish family in Israel, or a Hindu family in India they would grow in the faith prevalent in these respective countries.
Does you agree or disagree?
I am interested in all intelligent answers and the opinions of all religions. Athiests, agnostics and pagans don't be shy I want your take on this as well. No religion bashing please. We can all be civil adults.

Answer 1

I think that religion is most probably Universal. All religions have an underlying theme - death and resurrection. Virgin births and men or women who are God incarnate. But yes you are right that geography has created different sects although the Judeo/Christian/Muslim version came from the same region. The Middle East was the birth place of our major myths. Zoroastrianism seems to underlie many if not all of them.

Answer 2

Young people tend to mimic the beliefs of the family unit. Then whatever they are exposed to and their experiences within the original religious group color which direction they go in later. For example--My parents were born in Mississippi and are Baptists to this day. I was raised in Miami where there were 'alternative' beliefs. I became fascinated with all the different beliefs and went on a life long search for something that rang true to me. I have been inside the Brethren, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Buddhist, skeptic, agnostic and now (?) I am forming a belief on my own that I'm not sure what it is. It leans toward Pagan of some sort with New Age mixed in.

It has more to do with personality and opportunity than tradition in many cases. Some of us are seekers.

Answer 3

The geographical component you mention is very real. This is not to be confused with a kind of equalness (that in each place you are equally likely to be in that proximally prominent faith). For example, I chose my religion as an adult in my late 20s, but I am from the liberal United States and here choosing your religion is acceptable within the society. It is not the same in many other countries (like Pakistan and Iran).

Answer 4

Christianity began interior the middle East. Islam began interior the middle East. Hinduism began interior the Indus River delta (Pakistan) which shares roots with Buddhism. it could seem that maximum worldwide religions began interior the middle East. faith is as geographical through fact the reality that folk are geographical. Birds of feather, flock mutually. They bypass from place to place. inspect the strikes of the Christian Crusades to quell the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. inspect the unfold of Islam throughout the time of the worldwide. what's illogical is the thought that being born in a particular place determines what faith you suspect. on a similar time as subculture might foster a potential, custom can frequently compel with the help of stress of will to persist with a faith...yet any faith with the help of stress, isn't persevered into adulthood. They go away domicile and each each and every now and then undertake the ideals that they get exposure to as adults...or....they hate any faith in deference to their own whims.

Answer 5

It is highly culturally based, not so much geographically. It is amusing to speculate that the rabid Christians on here would all be praising Allah and his prophet Muhammad had they been born and raised in a Muslim environment. Religion is purely a psychological phenomenon

Answer 6

yes in a sense it is geographical but its hard for me to believe that the omnipresent God/Jesus Christ only lives in the hearts of a certain region. As a christian I believe that Christ enters lives at least once if not a few times throughout their visit here on earth. Hence, they have it spoken into them for a chance to be saved from this broken world through his salvation, mercy and Grace.

Answer 7

This is blatantly obvious. Of course, people of faith will typically say otherwise. This is another example of why atheists tend to view theists with disdain. The refusal to accept obvious facts, because they interfere with your faith in your religion, is simply insane. This is rather frustrating for atheists who attempt to have an "intelligent" discussion about religion, with people who refuse to be intellectually honest.

Answer 8

Well, obviously. But I'm amazed at how many people claim to have given other religions a chance and then miraculously come to the conclusion that 'their religion' was 'the true one'. What a coincidence!

Answer 9

Geographical correlation? No. There are people of the major faiths all around the world.

Answer 10

I does agree that you can be indoctrinated in a certain faith but it is up to you if you find new truth, to accept that and if it is different from what you believed before, you go to it and forget what you once did.